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Kurdish forces battling Sunni radicals with the Islamic State group will receive accelerated arms shipments from the U.S. and its allies.

“In addition to support from the U.S., and the central government of Iraq in Baghdad, seven additional nations — Albania, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom — have committed to helping provide Kurdish forces urgently needed arms and equipment,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Tuesday.

Mr. Hagel added that “Operations have already begun and will accelerate in the coming days,” The Hill reported.

While speaking at a joint press briefing with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey on Aug. 21, Mr. Hagel said that Islamic State terrorists are “beyond just a terrorist group. They marry ideology, a sophistication of strategic and tactical military prowess. … They are tremendously well-funded. This is beyond anything we’ve seen.”